Elizabeth Clephane

Elizabeth Cecilia Douglas Clephane (18 June 1830 – 19 February 1869) was a Scottish songwriter, who wrote the hymns "The Ninety and Nine" and "Beneath the Cross of Jesus".

Elizabeth Clephane
Elizabeth Clephane, from an undated photograph.
Born18 June 1830
Edinburgh
Died19 February 1869
Melrose, Roxburghshire
NationalityBritish
OccupationHymn writer

Early life
The grave of Elizabeth Clephane, St Cuthberts churchyard, Edinburgh

Clephane was born at 5 West Circus Place in Edinburgh, Scotland, the third daughter of Andrew Douglas Clephane FRSE (1780-1838), advocate and Sheriff of Fife, and his wife, Anna Maria Douglas (daughter of Lt Col Robert Douglas and Anna Maria Ashenhurst).[1]

Hymns

Eight hymns by Clephane were published posthumously in The Family Treasury, a Presbyterian magazine, between 1872 and 1874.[2] Clephane's hymns were promoted in America by Ira D. Sankey who wrote a tune entitled "Clephane" to accompany "The Ninety and Nine".[3] Another Clephane hymn, "Beneath the Cross of Jesus", is often heard at Easter,[4] and is usually sung to the tune "St Christopher" by English organist Frederick Charles Maker.[5][6]

Clephane's "The Ninety and Nine" is a reference to the Parable of the Lost Sheep, ending with the celebratory lines, "And the angels echoed around the throne, 'Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!'" It was sometimes performed on special occasions by a choir of 99 singers.[7] The hymn was said to be written after the death of her brother, George Clephane (1819-1851), who had a troubled life in Canada. As the story goes, he fell from his horse while intoxicated, struck his head upon a rock and died.[8][9] His grave site at Fergus, Ontario, Canada has become a site of interest for admirers of Clephane's hymns.[10][11] A memorial service was held there in 1933, as part of the town's centennial observances.[12]

Personal life

Clephane was considered frail.[5][13] She gave much to poor relief; it is said that she sold her horses to raise money for philanthropic causes.[1] She died in 1869, aged 38 years, at Bridgend House, near Melrose, Roxburghshire, Scotland where she had spent most of her later life.[14] Her grave is with her parents' graves in St Cuthbert's churchyard in central Edinburgh. There is also a memorial brass plaque to Clephane at Melrose Abbey.[1]

Reference
  1. "Elizabeth Clephane". Mapping Memorials to Women in Scotland. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  2. "Elizabeth Cecilia Douglas Clephane". The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  3. Smith, Jane Stuart; Carlson, Betty (27 June 1997). Great Christian Hymn Writers. Crossway. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-1-4335-1783-9.
  4. Collins, Ace (26 May 2009). Stories Behind the Traditions and Songs of Easter. Zondervan. ISBN 978-0-310-54226-1.
  5. Osbeck, Kenneth W. (1982). 101 Hymn Stories. Kregel Publications. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-8254-9327-0.
  6. "History of Hymns: "Beneath the Cross of Jesus"". Discipleship Ministries. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  7. "Chorus to Sing Ninety and Nine". Lancaster New Era. 31 December 1932. p. 16. Retrieved 22 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "George Died in a Ditch". Oklahoma City Star. 4 March 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 22 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Allen, Barbara (19 March 1941). "Born of Sorrow". Fitchburg Sentinel. p. 4. Retrieved 22 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. Mestern, Pat Mattaini (2008). Fergus: A Scottish Town by Birthright. Dundurn. pp. 24–25. ISBN 978-1-77070-709-2.
  11. Thorning, Stephen (5 March 2020). "George Clephane: the lost sheep of pioneer Fergus". Wellington Advertiser. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  12. "Fergus Centennial, George Clephane memorial service, 1933" Wellington County Museum and Archives.
  13. Petersen, Randy (2014). Be Still, My Soul: The Inspiring Stories Behind 175 of the Most-loved Hymns. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. pp. 42–43. ISBN 978-1-4143-7972-2.
  14. "Elizabeth C. Clephane". Hymnary. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
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